3 salary cap casualties for the Saints after the 2020 season

NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 22: Head coach Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints watches fourth quarter action against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on December 22, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. New Orleans defeats Tennessee 38-28. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /

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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 29: Malcom Brown #90 and David Onyemata #93 of the New Orleans Saints celebrate after a fumble recovery during the first quarter during their game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 15. player. DT. . Malcom Brown. 2

Malcom Brown signed with the Saints in 2019 and appeared in all 16 games, finishing with 34 combined tackles and two sacks.This was a bit of a dip in production for the defensive tackle and he now stands out as someone who can be let go.

Brown has a $6.5 million cap hit in 2021 on what will be the third and final year of his current deal. Yet the dead cap number is only $1.5 million. His 2019 production was good but not great and even a decent year in 2020 may not be enough to keep him around.

The Saints are still in cap trouble in 2021 with expiring contracts all over the roster. This will put each and every spot on the 53-man roster under a microscope. The team also just signed defensive tackle David Onyemata to a new deal that will see him be a $10 million cap hit in 2021. That fact alone made Brown the odd man out at the position.

Another alternative is offering up Brown in a trade. He will only be 27 years old next year and is a two-time Super Bowl champion from his days with the New England Patriots. Adding a draft pick in exchange would help the Saints build for the future once Brees is officially retired and the financial situation gets back to normal.

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